Six Crimson Cranes is beautifully done YA series featuring two volumes, SIX CRIMSON CRANES and THE DRAGON’S PROMISE, and a prequel, HER RADIANT CURSE. This story is based on East Asian folklore in a fantasy setting. It reads like a fairy tale you tell your children to lull them into a deep sleep. Author Elizabeth Lim seamlessly spins together the tales of Cinderella, and “the Wild Swans” into the main characters. While the larger entity of the series is based on the traditional stories of “The Legend of Chang E” and “The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter.”
It was a series I finished in less than a week’s time. I was unable to put it down or think of anything else other than the wonderfully crafted universe the author paints for us. The character development is done well over this duology, that being said we see a great progression of character just within the first book. I was so enthralled by the characters, and settling. I enjoy a good fantasy novel with magical elements but still feel grounded in problems we face in everyday life. When I could see the story was coming to a close I was completely blown away by the resolution. It wasn’t the ending I had imagined but it was the ending I didn’t know I had needed.
UnCovered review by Jade Green, ACLS Mays Landing Branch
